Operating and control mechanism for ferry bridges



March 24, 1931. C, C, TOMKlNSON 1,797,808

OPERATING AND CONTROL MEGHANISM FOR FERRY BRIDGES Filed July l1, -1927 2 sheetslshe\ l L? Jaja. w. 2

INVENTOR (kar/@s C 70m/mu BY m ATTORN" 5 ,March 24, 1931. c. c, ToMKlNSoN 1,797,803

OPERATTNG AND CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FERRY BRIDGES Filed July ll, 1927 2 Sheets-Sham 2 INVENTOR Cd/Zes Effi/rm .s0/7

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Ail/3!! Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. TOMK-INSON, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN MENTS, TO J. EDWARD OGDEN COMPANY, OF YORK, N.r A CORPORATION OIEy K NEW JERSEY OPERATING- AND CONTROL lVIElCl'lANISMFOR FERRY BRIDGES Application filed July 11, 1927.` serial No. 204,820.

This invention relates to operating andi control mechanisms for ferry bridges. y

As is well known, when a ferry boat enters the slip,`the bridge at the landing or dock must be lowered on` the boat. At the present time itis customary to use a motor for lifting and lowering the ferry bridge, the motor b`eing manually controlled as by means of a switch or a plurality of switches, it being the dut-y of ran attendant to maintain the bridge normally at an elevation higher than the deck of the highest unloaded ferry boat.

Vhen the boat has entered ythe slip, ,the operator or attendant will cause the motor to be set in operation to lower the bridge until the toggles thereon rest upon the'deck of the ferry boat.

When a ferryvboat is ready to leave the dock, the bridge must be raised to the aforementioned normal kposition so as to be free from the'deck of the boat. Y As the tide rises and falls, the attendant must continually operate the motor so as'to raise or lower the bridge in order to maintain it at approximately its proper elevation.

Diiculty has been experienced in carrying out the foregoing method Vof'operation since it sometimes happens that lthe operator has failed to lift the bridge to the required height before the ferr-y boat enters the slip in which case theboat rams the ends of the toggles and damages the bridge. n f

In order toavoid this diiliculty it has been proposed vto provide float control means in combination with the lifting and lowering Ameans whereby the bridge willrbe automatically maintained normally vat a predeterlnined level above the Water, such level'being. preferably slightly above the deck level of the highest unloaded ferry boat. Such mechanisin is illustrated anddescribed in Patent No. 980,522 granted January 3, 1911, to Haywood. v y

This invention has for its salient object to provide an improved and simplified construction for automatically and manually controlling the raising and lowering ofV ferry bridges whereby the bridge willbe normally mamtained in a position higher than the deck of thehighest unloaded ferry boat and can be Y easily and quickly loweredto operative position in engagement with the deck of the boat.

Another object ,of the invention is to provide automatic Acontrol means for a ferry bridge so constructed and arranged that when the bridge has been lowered into operative position on the boat, itwill be automatically maintained in such position regardless ofthe condition of the tide; y

Another object of the invention is to proyvidea float controldevice for automatically maintaining a ferry bridgeat thegdesired elevation so constructed andarranged that the controlV device and system controlled'thereby will not be obstructed by subaqueous growths, such as barnaclesor by ice andthe cables to corrosion. v, Y

Another object of the inventionis to provide float control mechanism of the character described so constructed and arranged that` the float will respond readily to tide move` ments but will bey sluggish and nonresponsive to wave movements."

F urther objects of the invention Will appear fromthe following specification taken in connectionwith the drawings, which form and attachments therefor will 'notvbe subject a part of this application, and in whichY F ig. ^1 is an elevation showingferry bridge control and operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of ,dilferential switch operating mechanism used inV connection with the electrical devices;

` Fig. 3L is an enlarged sectional elevation showingA the vfloat chamber and float device fork automatically ymaintaining the bridge vat a predetermined elevation ;v f

F ig.` 471s an elevational view showing the end of the `ferry bridge and toggle andthe end portion of the boat kadapted to be engaged thereby?. Y v

.Figi 5 isa top .plan view of a portion of the boat shown in Fig. 4;

Fig.l 6 is a transverse sectional elevation taken substantially on line 6-,6 of Fig. 5; V

4F ig. 7 is 'an elevational view broken away shwing another form of construction of the end of the ferryV bridge engageable with the boat; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation partly in section showing the elevating screw for raising and lowering thebridge.

T he invention brieliy described consists ofV operating and control mechanism for raising and lowering `ferry bridges comprising automatic float' control means for maintaining the bridge at a predetermined elevation or, in other words, at an elevation higher than the highest deckof :in-unloaded ferry? boat. The float control means is `enclosed within a casing partially filled with a Suitable liquid and preferably koil and the float is partially submerged in this liquid and issuitably counterbalanced so that as the tide rises and falls, Vthe float vwill also rise and fall. This vmechanism is so constructed that the float'` control system will not be obstructed by subaqueojus growths, such as barnacles or by.,A

the boat when the boatY enters the slip. Fur-v thermore, the bridOe is providedwithindi-t catingrmeansso that the'operatorcan tell whether the bridge toggle is properly vcngaged with'the boat.

' The automatic control mechanism is soarrangedthat after the Vbridge has been lowered on the boat, the bridge andboat will maintain relative interengaging positions regardless of the-riseand fall of the tide. -v f Further details of the invention will ap-V pear from the following description."

In the form of the invention illustrated and referring particularly t'o Fig. Vl', there is shown a ferry bridge AE20-and a gallows frame ,2l on which ismounted the operating means for the bridge.- For convenience of illustration, there isshown only a portion of the,

ferry-bridge and gallows frame, approximaly' 'One-half of the framebemg shown; ings.' The drum 4,5 constitutes a portion of The other half is practically akduplicate of the portion shown andy it is believed that the portion shown is sufficient 'for the purposes of illustration. l

The ferry bridge is' 'counterbalanced by means of heavy counterbalancing weights 22, there Vpreferably being providedtwo sets of suchr weights, but only one set is illustrated the drawings.- Each set of weights)l has connectedthereto cable 23 which passes over guide pulleys 24, 24 and downwardly beneath a pulley 25 carried'by the bridge, the end of the cable being brought upwardly again and connected or anchored to the gallows frame.

The bridge is raised and lowered by means of a screw 26 shown in detail in Fig. 8. Screw 26 is connected by a rod or other suitable connecting means 27 to the bridge and is operated by a worm and worm wheel connection 2S from a worm shaft 29 driven by an electric motor 30.l 'lhe elevating screw is preferably counterbalanced by the welght Vand cable connection illustrated in Fig. l in order to save wear and tear on the screw and upouthe driving nutr3l which is driven by the worm wheel 28. It will be understood that as the motor 30` is operated in one direction or the other, the bridge will be raised or lowered by the screw 26.

In Vorder to maintain the bridge at a predetermined elevation with respect to the surface level of the water and preferably at an elevation disposed above the deck of the highest unloaded ferry boat, there in provided a iioat 32 vpositioned within a casing or tube 33 which is partially submerged in the water and is provided with a closed bottom 34 and radial constricted openings 35 therein adjacent the'bottom. The float chamber in the tube or casing 33 is preferably filled or partially Vfilled with a heavy oil 36 and the float 32 illustrated is preferably formed of metal, such as cast iron and is hollow, the bottom of the float being closed by a plug 37. The tube 33 extends downwardly below the low tide level a sufficient extent to retain the 'fiuidthereiu l The constricted openings 35 near the bottom of the float chamber lcause the liquid in the float chamber to respond to variations in Athe tide level, but .wave movements will not Ymaterially affect the float because .of its weight and because of the constricted openings. throughfwhich the chamber communi- VCates with the water.

The float32 has connected thereto a cable 44, y.the upperend of which is' passed severall times around a drum 45, the free end ofthe cable havingV connected thereto a counter-balancing weight 46 preferably adust'able as shown. rlhe weight isso adjustcdthat the ioat which is normally biased to ysink in `the oil or liquid inthe float chamber will be partially submerged as shown in the drawdifi'erential switch operating means 47 shown in detail in Fig. 2. This means comprises two bevel gears 48 and 49 which arearranged to face each other with their axes in alinement, the teeth of the gears 48 and 49 meshing with a complementary bevel gear 5() hav'- ing its axis disposed at right angles to the gears 48 and 49.. kGrear 50 is mounted toA rotate in a ydifferentially operated wheel 5l mounted on an axis in alinement with the axis of the. gears 48and 49.` Gear .48 is fixed with krespect to the drum 45 and gear` 49 is fixed withrespect to a similar drum 52. A cable 53 is wound around the drum 52 and has secured to one end thereof a counterbalancing weight 54. Cable 53 passes from thedrum 52 around a guide pulley 55 and is secured to a drum 56 having connected thereto a -worm wheel 57 driven by a worm 58 carried by a shaftf59 on the outer end of which is secured anloperating crank or wheel-60. The drum 56v and the operating parts therefor are carried by a. bracket 6l mounted on the bridge 20. j,

The wheel 51 hasformed on the periphery thereof gear teeth 65 which mesh with a spur main X and the two switchesare connected by a vwire 75. Y The arms 74 rof the switches and 71 are' adapted to engage contacts and 81 connected respectively to raisingr and lowering switches 82 and 83 which control the operationl of the motor` to raise or lower the screw 26. The details of switches 82 and 83V are notwillustrated since theyare common in the art and it is sufficient for the present description to state that when the motor control switch 82 is closed, the motor will operate to lower the bridge and Whenthe switch 83 isy closed,rthe motor will operate to raise the bridge. lVhen neither of these switches is closed, the motor will remainstationary and the bridge will be held against movement.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the coacting portions of the bridge and boat. In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the bridge has an overhanging projection or toggle beam in which there is pivotally mounted an`arm'91 termed in the art a toggle. The arm 91 has va hook 'or lug 92 at the lower end there'- of and the end of the' boat adapted to be engaged by the bridge has a mooring plate provided with an arcuate recess 93 concentric with the curved end of the boat, having an inclined portion 94. kA` second recess 95 communicates with recess 93and extends laterally therefrom. A shoulder 97 on the toggle is adapted to enter the recess 95 and theV lower end or hook 92 on the toggle is adapted to rest inthe bottoml of the recess 93 on surface or portion 94 when the toggle is prop erly positioned. l

An indicatorlOO ispivoted at 101 on the bridge and has its lower end 102 adapted to rest on the upper surface of the toggle. When the toggle is properly centered and is in engagement with the boat or, in other words, is depressed, the indicator will project above the overhanging projection .90

of the-bridge, thus indicating to theoperator that the lbridge is properly locked to -the boat. When, however, the toggle is not properly positioned on the boat, the toggle will swing upwardly on its pivot, thus depressing the indicator and Showing the operator that the .bridgeis not properly positionedon the boat.

When the bridge is lowered to the boat if the boat is Vin approximately butv not exactly in correct position the shoulder 97 will rest on the surface 96 of the mooring plate and the hook portion 98 of the toggle will engage the mooring plate wall 99. Then when the boat manipulated by the'captain by means of the propeller and rudder is properly centered, the toggle 'will'drop into the depression 94 andy recess 95 and the boat will be held in central position. The vindicator will then rise showing the captain that the toggle is in correct. position on the boat. l

Assumingthe tide to be falling and no automatic control lon the bridge, the boat would be released, whereas with the automatic system' the bridge falls the same amount as the'boatfa-lls and the mooring device is held in constant'engagement with the boat. c When the bridge operator lands the bridge upon the boat, 'he will slack off the cable 27 several inches so that the weight of 'the bridge is on the boat. The slackness in the cable will take care of any slight diHerence in movement of the bridge and the boat.

Instead of providing a pivoted ytoggle'in the overhanging projection9() of the bridge.

the projectionr may have lixedly secured thereto and depending therefrom a hook 105 adapted to enter the recess in the mooring plate. Two toggle locks and mooring plates are preferably provided, one at each side of the center of thebridge and boat.

Operation of ferry brz'dgeoperatz'ng and cofa- Y trol mechanism 'Hic drum 45 which is rotated as the oat rises and falls and withthe drum, the gear 48 will be rotated. Since the gear 49 is stationary when the-float begins to rise and fall, the gear 50 will rotate and will cause the gear 51 to rotate gear 66` and swing the arm 68in one direction or the other as the case may be. If the tide is falling, the arms 68 will swing in a clockwise direction and engage the arm 72 of the switch 70, closing the contact between the switch plate ,74 and contact 81 and thereby closing the circuit through thelowering www ing, the circuit will be completed through the switch 83 and the motor will be caused to lift the screw 26 and the bri-dge controlled thereby. In either case when'the motor starts to move the bridge, drum 52 begins to rotate and returns the arm 68 tothe neutral position between the switches and thus stops the motor when the bridge has moved a distanceequal to the movement of the float.

As leereinbefore set forth, the float 32 floats in oil and is'partially submerged and the interior of the Float casing communicates with the water surrounding the casingthrough restricted openings 35, thus the ioat although responsive to the rise and fall of the tide will not be responsive to wave movements. Furthermore, the submerging of the float in oil seals the pores or' the float and the oil also tends to prevent corrosion of the cable and float attachments.

-lVhen a boat enters the slip and the operator desires to lower the bridge to the boat, he will rotate the crank handle 60 in the proper direction and thereby rotate the drum 52 and gear 49. During this operation the gear 48 will remain substantially stationary under the control of the float 32 and, therefore, the gear 50 will be rotated by the gear 49 and will cause the gear 51 to rotate,.thus rotating the gear 66 and'arm 68. Arm 68 will then cause the Aswitch 70 to close the contact between the switch blade or arm 74 and contact 8l, thus completing the circuit through switch 82 and causing the motor to operate in a direction to lower the bridge to the deck of the boa When the motor starts to lower the bridge, the arm 68 is returned to neutral position by the movement of drum 52 and the motor stops. After the bridge has been lowered to the deck, it will be automatically retained in position thereon by the ioat regardless of the rise and fall of the tide since the automatic control maintains the bridge a deiinite distance above the water level whichV is the height of the boat deck.

Then the boat is about to leave the slip, the operator will rotate the crank handle 60 in the opposite direction, thus reversing the motor and raising the bridge.

Although one speciiic embodiment of' the invention has ben particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction-and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts maybe made withoutr departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is: l y

1.' Mechanism for controlling and operating' ferryy Ybridges comprising a motor, a bridge,"op'erativef'connections between the motor and bridge vfor raising andlow'ering the bridge, switch mechanism for controlling v said motor, ioat controlled meansfo'r operating the switch mechanism, and manually con- Y trolled means on the bridge for operatingthe mechanism, said float controlled means being in operating condition atall times.

3. Mechanism for controlling vand operating ferry bridges comprising a motor, a bridge, operative connections lbetweenthe motor and bridge for raising and lowering the bridge, switch mechanism for controlling said motor, a iioat chamber having a constricted vent communicating with the water above which the ferry bridge is located and a float in said chamber operative to control said switch mechanism, to cause the motor to raise or lower the bridge as the tide rises and falls.

4. VMechanism for controllingk andoperating-ferry bridgesl comprising a Vmotor, a

bridge, operative connections betweenv the motor and bridgefor raising or lowering the bridge, switch mechanism `for controlling said motor, afloat chamber having aconstrioted vent communicating with the water above which the ferry bridge is located, said ohamber having therein a liquid of less specific gravity than the specific gravity of the water with which the constricted opening establishes communication vand aV float in said chamber operative-,to control said switch mechanism, to cause the motor to raise Y or lowerthebridge as the 'tide rises and falls.

5. Mechanism for controlling and operating ferry bridges comprising means for raising and lowering the bridge, a float chamber communicating adjacent its lower end with the water in which the boat vto be moored is located, said float chamber being partially filled with a liquid adapted to float in said chamber and means controlled by the float for causing said raising and lowering means to raise and lower the bridge.

6. Mechanism for controlling and operating ferry bridges comprising a motor for raising and lowering the bridge, diiferentialgearing, means operated by the gearing for convtrilling the operation of thej motor to raise and lower the bridge, a lioat controlling said gearing and manually operatable means on the bridge fc 3 controlling the gearing.

7. In combination, a ferry beam, a toggle pivoted theron, and means controlled by the ,momes toggle for indicating whether the bridge is properly positioned on the boat.

8. In combination, a ferry beam, a toggle Connected with the float and bridge for start pivoted thereon, and pivoted means controlled by the toggle'for indicating whether the bridge is properly positioned on the boat.

9. In combination, a ferry bridge, a toggle pivoted thereon, and means on the bridge cone trolled by the toggle for indicating whether the bridge is properly positioned on the boat.

10. In combination, a ferry bridge, a boat adapted to be engaged-thereby, a toggle beam, a toggle locking member on the beam, and a mooring platev onl the boat having a recess adapted to receive said locking member.

11. In combination, a ferry bridge, a boat adapted to be engaged thereby, a toggle locking member on the bridge, a mooring plate on the boat having a recess adapted to receive said locking member, and an indicator for indicating to the operator when the toggle lock ing member is disposed in said recess.

12. In combination, a ferry bridge, a boat adapted to be engaged thereby, a toggle lockiiig member on the. bridge, and a mooring plate on the boatfhaving a recess adapted to receive said locking member, said recess having an arcuate ledge and a laterally project ing depression for centering and receiving the end of the toggle locking member.

13. Means for controlling and operating a ferry bridge comprising a motor for raising andnloweringy the bridge, a lifting switch therefor, a lowering switch therefor, a fioat controlled switch for controlling the lifting and lowering switches, and means including a manually operable device on the ferry bridge for controlling the float controlled switch.

14. In combination, a ferry bridge, a boat adapted to be engaged thereby, a toggle beam on the bridge, la toggle locking member'on the beam, a mooring plate on the boat having a recess'adapted to receive said locking member, and float controlled means formaintaining the toggle locking member in locking engagement with the mooring plate. n 15. In combination, a vferry bridge, a boat adapted to be engaged thereby, aV toggle locking member on the bridge, a mooring-plate on the boat having aliecess adapted to receive said locking member, float controlled means for maintaining the toggle locking member in locking engagement with the mooring plate, and an indicator for indicating to the operf'. ator when the toggle locking member is disposed in said recess. Y Y

16. In combination, a ferry bridge, a tog gle pivoted thereon, means on the bridge controlled by the toggle for indicating whether the bridge is properly'positioned on the boat, and float controlled means for maintaining the toggle locking member in locking engagement with the mooring plate.

17. Mechanism for controlling and operating ferry bridges comprising Ya motor, a

bridge operative connections between the `mokftor. and bridge'for raisingl and lowering; the

bridge, a float,fdifferei`itially yoperated means ing and stopping .the .motor, and manually controlled mechanismV on the bridge con-y nectedwith the differentially operated means for starting and stopping the' motor.. 4 18. v Mechanism for controlling 'and operating ferry bridges comprising a motor, a

bridge, operative connections between the motor Vand bridge for raising and lowering the bridge, a float, means operated by t float to startthe motor, and manually controlled means on the bridge for operating said,

ing ferry bridges comprising a motor, a

bridge, operative connections between the motor and bridge for raising and lowering the bridge, switch mechanism includingY a; 'single switch control member for controlling said motor, float controlled means for operating the switch control member and lcontrolling said switch mechanism, and manually controlled means on `the bridge for controlling said switch control member and operatingthe switch mechanism, said float controlled means being operatable at all times.

21. Mechanism for controlling and operating ferry bridges comprising a motor, a bridge, operative connections between the motor and bridge for raising and lowering the bridge, a pair of switches for controlling the operationof the motor to raise and lower the` bridge, a'single member o'pei'atable to throw one or the other of said switches, a

float voperatively connected to actuate said member, and `manually controlled means 011 the bridge for actuating said member.

22; Mechanism for controlling and operating kferry bridges comprising means for raising and lowering the bridge, afloat chamber communicating adjacent its lower end with the water in which the boatto be moored is located, said float chamber being partially filled with a non-corrosive liquid adapted to float on thewater, afloat in the chamber and means controlled by the float for causing said raising and lowering means to raise and lower the bridge.

23. Mechanism for controlling and operating ferry bridges comprising means for raising and lowering thel bridge, a float chamber vcommunicating adjacent its lower end with the water in which the boatto be moored is ias located, said float chamber `being' partiallylled with anon-reezi'ngliquid adapted to float on the water, a float inthe chamber and means controlled by the float for causing said raising and lowering means to Araise and lower the bridge. Y l A In witness whereof, I have hereuntol set my hand this 1st day of Jul 1927.

v .CHARLES C. T IMKINSON. 

